Twisted
by Sue-Drae
Summary: Kronos was the Lord of Time. Knowing this, at the peak of the Battle of Olympus, Luke has other ideas. He knows he can't save the world; if he had that sort of potential, then none of this would have happened. Percy, on the other hand... Percy had savior of the world in his job description, didn't he? What's the difference if he starts a little early? time travel, Pernico
1. Prologue

Percy watched again as Kronos- no, Luke- gasped.

"He's changing. Help. He's... he's almost ready," Luke warned, his voice cracking. "He won't need my body anymore. Please-"

"No!" It was still Luke's mouth, but the voice emanating from it was clearly not his as his eyes burned gold. Kronos searched for his sword, but it was out of his reach and lying amongst the coals in Hestia's hearth. He stumbled towards it anyway, pushing Percy out of the way as the young half-blood moved to intercept.

"The knife, Percy," Annabeth murmured, her breath shallow as Percy hit his head hard against the base of Athena's throne. "Hero... Cursed blade..."

By the time Percy had recovered from hitting his head, Kronos was already at his sword. The Titan grasped his blade, only to drop it a moment later, yelling in pain as his hands were revealed to be burned and smoking from the blade's hilt. The hearth fire burned brightly, as if rebelling against Kronos.

Kronos collapsed to the ground, and Percy met Luke's eyes. Luke, in control once more, held his burned hands up helplessly.

"Please, Percy..." The son of Poseidon moved towards the son of Hermes, Annabeth's dagger clutched tightly in hand, but Luke's voice stopped Percy from closing the distance. "You can't... can't do it yourself. He'll break my control. He'll defend himself. Only my hand. I know where. I can.. I can keep him controlled."

Percy, eyeing the knife and then Luke, realized that Luke was telling the truth. Only Luke could keep the Titan at bay long enough for the battle to end. It had to be Luke.

"I didn't want this..." Luke said with a gasp. A strange light glinted in his eyes, muffled by a sheen of unshed tears. "Don't want to be remembered like this... No time. Time..."

Luke's skin began to glow a dull gold color, his clothes beginning to smoke as the Titan began to force his way free of his host.

Percy, jaw clenched, hesitated for just a moment before holding the dagger out to Luke, hilt first.

"Percy! Are you.. um...?" Grover's voice drifted off as Luke lifted his hand towards the dagger, his eyes barely hiding a golden smolder. Instead of seeing his enemy grab the hilt, and leave him defenseless, Luke grasped Percy's wrist, eyes glowing a bright gold.

Percy tried to struggle away, but his enemy would not release him. Percy was unsure if this was Luke or Kronos turning against him, he only knew that he was powerless to resist. When his opponent spoke, however, it was with Luke's voice.

"Save us, Percy. Save us."

Pain ripped through Percy as the golden light of Luke/Kronos' eyes grew brighter and brighter until they blazed harsher than any fire. The light drove everything else to darkness and then, when the light began to fade, only shadows and the pain remained.


	2. Damn it, Luke!

Percy awoke to a different darkness. He knew that he wasn't dead, that much was certain as he'd been to the Underworld on a number of occasions and the unlit room and almost-comfortable bed he now lay in where completely different from his memories of Hades' domain.

"Mmhmm..." a familiar voice mumbled blearily from only a few yards away. Percy's eyes zoned in on the source of the voice and, adjusting to the darkness, began to make out a bedraggled form strewn overtop a dark navy blanket. Percy frowned. "... No! That's... my... my enchilada..."

_Yep. Definitely Grover,_ Percy thought to himself, frown deepening. _But what is Grover doing here? Where even _is_ here?_

Percy's hand scrambled blindly against what he thought was an end table, searching for a lamp. Clicking the small lamp's switch to _On_, Percy immediately froze as dim yellow light filled the room.

He wasn't in Olympus.

He wasn't at Camp Half-Blood.

Hades, he wasn't even at his mom's place.

Nope. Percy, thanks to some cruel joke of fate- or maybe all three of them- was right back at the 10' by 12' dorm room he'd operated out of during sixth grade. He could even see the Yancy Academy logo still marked into nearly everything, a ploy Percy had always thought was meant to discourage the students from stealing anything (not that it worked; i.e. Nancy What's-Her-Name... I want to say, Bobafett?).

Unsure if this was just another elaborate practical joke, Percy went to wake up Grover who, as per his usual sleeping-like-a-log agenda, was still fast asleep and growling at invisible people who threatened to steal his enchiladas.

Percy's hand was inches away from Grover's shoulder, his mouth already open to provide the very necessary, "Did Clarisse put you up to this?" comment when he froze very suddenly. Though Grover's face was completely concealed by his navy blankets, Percy could see the top of his head very clearly and, as such, could very easily see that the satyr's horns were nowhere to be seen, still small enough to be hidden fully by his hair.

Forcing himself to swallow, Percy stumbled away.

_What's going on?_

As he backed away from the sleeping Grover, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. Eyes widening, he went to the mirror's side, hands moving to his face to make sure that the person in the mirror was him.

Staring back at him with horror and confusion lighting up those familiar green eyes was Perseus Jackson, age twelve.

Struggling to breathe, one of Percy's hands dove into his pocket, the other to his neck. The resulting shock quickly transformed into grief. Riptide, which had been spelled to always return to its wielder, and his camp necklace, the physical manifestation of the past four years of his life and all of the memories that came with them, were gone.

Desperate to regain some sense of calm, Percy left the room, trying to recall how to get to the classroom where 'Mr. Brunner' taught through the barely familiar halls.

* * *

><p>Percy had to resist to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw that Chiron's office door was just barely open, allowing for small tendrils of light to brighten the otherwise dark hallway. The other faculty offices were dark and unwelcoming, doors firmly shut, so Percy knew that there would not be any interruptions for this conversation.<p>

Having had plenty of time to work up his nerve, Percy didn't hesitate to walk into the room.

"This is probably not a great time, but we need to talk," Percy called into the room, trying to give Chiron some time to get his bearings while Percy approached.

"Percy," 'Mr. Brunner' greeted, only a little frazzled. He was in his wheelchair once more, sitting at his desk with a splash of papers in front of him. "It's very late; shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I doubt I'd be able to. We've got to talk. Something... Something's happened."

"What do you mean?" Chiron asked patiently. Percy stared levelly at the centaur.

"I _know_, Chiron." At Percy's casual use of his name, Chiron's eyes darkened, his mouth turning down in a thoughtful frown. "I know about you, Grover, the camp, my dad, the prophecy- _everything_. What I don't know, is why I am _here_."

Chiron returned Percy's gaze steadily, not breaking eye contact for several long moments. Then, at no visible cue, the centaur nodded seriously.

"Then it seems we must talk." He nodded again after a moment's hesitation, an invitation to Percy to talk.

"I guess the easiest place to start would be at the end... On my sixteenth birthday, Manhattan was almost completely overrun by monsters. Your father has been very busy." Chiron, as Percy predicted, froze but Percy continued on with his story. Chiron, biding his time, kept his silence until Percy quieted.

"Percy, no one can know the future so clearly."

"That's probably true, but I don't know the future. I know my past. _A half-blood of the eldest gods shall reach sixteen against all odds and see the world in endless sleep. The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap; a single choice shall end his days, Olympus to preserve or raze. _On my sixteenth birthday, after so many near-death encounters I don't even want to count them, Morpheus places the island of Manhattan under a sleeping spell. The hero, Luke, killed himself, taking Kronos with him, saving Olympus. Or, at least, he _would_ have. He apparently got another idea."

"Luke is an exceptionally talented hero, yes, but to take control of Kronos' power to such an extent?" Chiron frowned. "It could work, theoretically, but the drain that must have taken would have likely killed him."

"Maybe... Does the Curse of Achilles apply to that kind of thing?" Percy asked curiously before shaking his head. "I'm getting off topic. How long until the deadline?"

"We have some time, but the situation will only get worse as time passes. I'll have Argus come to get you and Grover immediately. The sooner the gods are alerted of your plan and your presence, the better."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Percy said with a grin. Chiron raised an eyebrow but nodded his consent as Percy explained his plan.

"Percy, if that happens, there's no guarantee that-"

"Trust me. It'll work."

* * *

><p>"Die zombies!" Ten year old Nico di Angelo was having the time of his life. He and his sister had been here for just three weeks but the game room was <em>incredible<em>. He didn't know who invented Resident Evil, but he wanted to shake the man's hand. Resident Evil was almost as cool as Mythomagic and _nothing_ was as cool as Mythomagic.

A shiver ran down his spine that had nothing to do with the comfortable air conditioning. Nico continued shooting the half-life out of the zombies straying across his screen but, for some reason, he couldn't put all of his heart into it. Part of him was afraid that Bianca would find him- she really hated it when he played violent video games- but most of him wanted to go swimming.


	3. Sally: Embarassing Mother of the Year

"So... What will happen to Grover?" Percy asked in an undertone, his voice all but lost over the rambunctious trip-goers. Chiron seemed to absent mindedly straighten his tweed coat as he wheeled his way through the Met but Percy knew better. He knew from the sidelong glances the disguised centaur shot at Mrs. Dodds- Alecto- and he knew from the way Chiron was allowing Nancy Bobafett try and pickpocket every other tourist passing them by.

"That is the director's decision. We haven't exactly had a case like you... Though, while I'm thinking of it-" Chiron's hand reached into the pocket of his tweed jacket and, after a moment of fishing, pulled out a familiar pen. At the sight of it, Percy grinned.

"Riptide," he said happily, as if greeting an old friend. It was true, in a way; he knew that blade intimately. It had been his lifeline in more than one scenario and it had accompanied him from that first fight in the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the almost-final battle.

"It has a tragic history, but I'm sure you know that well. I wish that you'll turn its fate around," Chiron said seriously as he passed Percy the nondescript pen.

"Miss me?" An arm slung itself around Percy's shoulders, causing Percy to turn and see Grover Underwood grinning at him as if he didn't have a care in the world. Trying to grin back, Percy lightly shoved him off.

"Like a rash," Percy joked back. The grin became more genuine when Grover sniffed distastefully.

"Boys, no rough housing," Chiron chided lightly before calling the class to attention, gesturing to the ancient stele. "Since you seem so confident in this material perhaps you could enlighten me, Mr. Jackson, on what this picture represents?"

Percy tried not to smirk at the vaguely familiar stele.

"That's the Titan Kronos swallowing his children, the gods."

"And he did this because?" Chiron pressed. Percy rolled his shoulders lazily.

"When Kronos deposed his father, Uranus, he was told that he would be overthrown by his own son so, to prevent that, he decided to eat his children, the gods. His wife, Rhea, wasn't very happy about that so, when Zeus was born, she tricked Kronos into eating a rock instead of Zeus. Later, Zeus and Rhea gave Kronos a drink that would force him to throw up his first five children and Zeus, with his brothers and sisters, fought against the Titans and won."

"Quite right. The gods defeated their father, sliced him to pieces with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tartarus, the darkest part of the Underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch. Mrs. Dodds, would you lead us back outside?"

"Dude, how'd you know that?" Grover asked in a whisper as they began to follow their classmates out of the museum. Percy was glad that the rest of the class was all but out of sight when he heard a familiar voice cry out his name happily. Confused but mostly pleased, Percy turned to face his mother with a broad smile.

"Percy!" Comforting arms wrapped around him tightly, threatening to rob him of any air left in his lungs. "I swear, you've grown since Christmas!"

"I doubt it." Even so, Percy couldn't help but feel relieved. The last time he'd seen his mother, she and her new husband had been fighting off snake-women with shotguns and swords. It had been exceedingly cool, yes, but it was also nerve wracking for Percy to see his mother in even a hint of danger.

Unbidden, he recalled that, according to his memories, she would be held captive by the Lord of the Underworld in just a few months.

Percy belatedly realized that his mother had been kidnapped by his uncle who just happened to be the father of his boyfriend.

Demigod problems.

"What are you doing here?" Percy asked after the necessary introductions between his mother and Grover.

"After the trip, you're coming home with me. Mr. Brunner called me and said that there was a lot we had to talk about." Sally Jackson's eyes didn't reveal the extent of what Chiron had explained but Percy doubted he had talked about the details of Percy's time traveling exploits over the phone.

"Really?"

"Really. Hello, you must be Mrs. Jackson," Chiron, wheeling up behind Percy, said warmly. Sally nodded, shaking the man's hand amiably.

"Mr. Brunner?" she guessed.

"The very same... We still have some more of the exhibit to explore after lunch, Mrs. Jackson, so you're quite welcome to join us for the rest of the trip," Chiron offered. Even Grover blanched for Percy: having your mom go on a school field trip stops being cool around age seven and Percy was, in a sense, sixteen years old. As much as he loved her-

"That's fine. I don't want to be any trouble. Besides, I'm not sure my boy would survive the embarrassment," Sally joked. Chiron laughed easily with her. "In any case, Percy's stepfather is waiting for me back at home and I promised I wouldn't be long." Percy's hands balled into fists and he had to concentrate on breathing evenly.

"Don't let me keep you, then. Boys, can you make it to the steps without ruining any priceless pieces of art?"

"No promises, Mr. Brunner," Percy chuckled. Chiron studied Percy half-seriously for a long moment before looking to Grover, exchanging a heavy glance that even Sally understood as 'keep him out of trouble.' "Your faith in me is astounding."

"Truly," Chiron commented wryly before exchanging a final goodbye with Percy's mother and wheeling himself out. With an opportunity to be alone with Grover so freely given to him, Percy didn't waste time. As soon as the adults were out of earshot, he turned to Grover seriously.

"I know." Percy almost rolled his eyes at the nervous bleat of laughter that escaped from Grover's throat, closely followed by a stammered, "What?" Percy tried again, elaborating. "I said, I know. Camp, the gods, Olympus, the bolt, the deadline; everything."

Grover was deathly pale. His hands were shaking slightly at his sides but Percy didn't comment.

"W-What do you mean?"

"You're a terrible liar, G-man. Don't worry about me too much, though. I'm not some dumb kid, alright? I know that you weren't pretending to be my friend or anything, even if it's your job to watch out for me. I get it."

"You... You do?" Grover asked quietly, eyes wide with disbelief. "How?"

"I've..." Percy grimaced. He and Chiron had come up with a cover but, even then, he hated having to lie to one of his best friends. Grover was his first friend at camp. Even after he and Annabeth became friends, Grover was _there_. They had shared an empathy link. That sort of trust is hard to betray. "I've been having dreams, ones that I can't always explain. But I think I understand now. I've talked to Mr. Brunner about them and he's helped me figuring them out."

"You've talked to Mr. Brunner?" Grover was having trouble processing it and Percy decided to pause this conversation until it was safer and there was less risk of Grover eating furniture or priceless art in public.

"And I know who he really is. I just wanted you to know that it's cool. We'll talk more about this later, though. It's probably not safe around here and we'll both be at the camp soon anyway. I just didn't want to blindside you with this later."

"I- Uh- Thanks," Grover managed. Percy smiled.

"My pleasure."


End file.
